Approximately 3.2 million dogs and 3.3 million cats enter shelters in the United States each year. Photographers Kelly Pratt and Ian Kreidich are on a mission to help resolve this problem.
For the past five years, Pratt and Kreidich, who also run a studio called Dancers & Dogs, have been pairing dogs and cats from the Stray Rescue of St. Louis with professional ballet dancers from the Saint Louis Ballet to pose together in a photography series called “Muttcracker.”
The photos depict dancers in graceful poses alongside a variety of adorable dogs and well-behaved cats. (Any dog owner knows the challenge of keeping a pet still while someone dances around!)
This heartwarming scene is part of the “Muttcracker” photoshoot, which aims to spotlight adoptable pets and encourage potential adopters to consider bringing home a new furry friend.
Dancers & Dogs, in an interview with My Modern Met, explained their mission: to spread joy. They perceive dance as frequently depicted as “very serious and full of drama” and aspire to illuminate its lighter aspects. They believe that pairing dancers with adorable cats and dogs is the perfect strategy to accomplish this goal and evoke genuine smiles and laughter.
Julia Gabbert, chief of clinic administration at Stray Rescue, emphasizes their mission: rescuing the “underdogs of St. Louis City.” This dedication extends to animals like an Australian Cattle Dog who now relies on a wheelchair-like device after a severe gunshot wound. Stray Rescue, Gabbert clarifies, is a no-kill shelter committed to saving every animal possible, “regardless of their issues.”
To see photos from the sixth annual Muttcracker photoshoot, check out Dancers & Dogs’ Instagram account.